Delhi Government Launches Anti-Dust Campaign To Control Air Pollution

To control pollution in this winter season, Delhi Government on Thursday launched a month-long intensive anti-dust campaign at construction sites.

Environment Minister Gopal Rai announced the campaign and said, "Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced the Winter Action Plan. In the first phase of the plan, we operationalised a war room in the Delhi Secretariat on October 3. Today, we are starting an anti-dust campaign in Delhi. The anti-dust campaign will be run in Delhi till November 6. It is compulsory for all construction sites to follow all 14 anti-dust norms and strict action to be taken against violators."

Mr Rai said that under the anti-dust campaign, 586 teams have been formed specially to implement and monitor the anti-dust norms.

"These 586 teams will go on the ground to ensure that all the rules made for the construction sites under the anti-dust campaign are being followed. Out of these 586 teams, 33 teams came from DPCC, 165 teams from Revenue Department, 300 teams from MCD, 20 teams from DSIDC, 14 teams from Delhi Jal Board, 33 teams from DDA, 3 teams from Delhi Metro, 6-6 each team from CPWD and PWD, 1 team from NDMC, 4 teams from Delhi Cantonment Board and 1 team from NHAI," he said.

Talking about the 14-point anti-dust norms, Minister said that all the construction companies have to build huge tin walls around the construction sites in order to stop the dust from spreading.

"Second, in order to stop dust pollution, earlier, it was mandatory to install an anti-smog gun on site with an area greater than 20 thousand square meters till now. But now there is a modification in this provision and each site with an area above 5 thousand square meters needs to have an anti-smog gun. A construction site with an area between 5 thousand square meters to 10 thousand square meters needs to have one anti-smog gun," said Rai

He further said that the construction sites sized between 10 thousand square meters to 15 thousand square meters are required to have two anti-smog guns and sites having a size between 15 thousand square meters and 20 thousand square meters need to have three anti-smog guns.

Construction sites with an area greater than 20 thousand square meters are required to have four anti-smog guns.

Mr Rai said that under the new norms construction or demolition work is required to be covered with tents or nets.

"It is mandatory to clean the vehicle, including its tires, carrying the construction materials. It is also mandatory to cover construction-related vehicles. Construction materials and debris from demolition is required to be thrown at a designated spot. Any construction material like soil or sand cannot be left uncovered," he said.

He said that stone cutting during construction could not be done in the open and wet jetting should be used to cut stones.

"It is required to spray water in non-cemented and oily areas to avoid spreading of dust. Construction or demolition sites with an area greater than 20 thousand square meters need to have a metalled road with black topple so that transportation of vehicles does not result in spreading of dust," he added.

Mr Rai clarified that all the sites have to follow these rules and action will be taken if someone defaults in following them. A penalty from Rs 10 thousand to upto Rs 5 lakhs can be imposed and if there is a serious violation, we will order a shutdown of the construction site.

The Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) system has also been in force in Delhi as per which all the construction sites with areas above 500 square meters need to register them on the portal. If any site is not registered, it will be barred from further construction. Moreover, PUC checking and water sprinkling campaigns are implemented with effective monitoring.

Delhi government also appealed to the people that if they see any type of violation of anti-dust norms, they can complain on the Green Delhi App by clicking photographs.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)